Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012 | 2 a.m.
View more of the Sun's opinion section
Another view?
View more of the Las Vegas Sun's opinion section:
• Editorials - the Sun's viewpoint.
• Columnists - local and syndicated writers.
• Letters to the editor - readers' views.
Have your own opinion? Write a letter to the editor.
I want to thank President Barack Obama for designating Chimney Rock in Colorado as a national monument. By using the Antiquities Act, the president was able to protect an area that has deep spiritual significance to Native Americans. In addition, all of us benefit from protecting this place.
For Chimney Rock, the increased visibility of being a national monument is expected to have a significant effect on the local economy. Numerous studies point out that protected lands create jobs in local communities. It’s great to see that we can both protect our nation’s land and water, and help boost local economies by creating recreation, tourism and restoration/preservation jobs.
In Nevada, protecting the Gold Butte area would mean preservation of cultural resources important to the Moapa Band of Paiutes and the Las Vegas Band of Paiutes, and it would provide a similar boost to our economy. Our elected officials need to address the issue of protecting Gold Butte.
The author is the program director of the Friends of Sloan Canyon
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy